Google Website Optimizer Beta

[fatoftheland]

Has anyone else applied to be a beta tester of this? We got an invite yesterday and in general it allows you to run experiments to see how changes of content/design can lead to higher conversion rates.

The software utlises a few javascript snippets which allows Google to rotate the content of a page via a similar system to adwords/analytics and analyse the effect of the changes against performance.

We'd love to run a few experiments but were not quite sure how to go about implementing this, since it isn't something which can be run on every page.

One part of the code needs to be added to the head of the page, this I guess would have to be added to every page. The other snippets are placed in different areas of the page so that Google can edit the content.

I guess I'd need to create a few new layouts to add this code and test using the layout?

Anyone else beta testing?

[RuralWeb]

Im looking at it but not done anything with it at the moment.

[jont]

What are the conspiracy theories about letting Google free on your site.. GoogleStats particularly

[RuralWeb]

As I have said I have not looked at it in great detail yet but my first thought is that they may be looking at ways to turn the organic results into PPC or PP Possition. A N01 on the organic results gets about 85% more clicks than a N01 on Adwords so if google can allow people to pay for that possition they will make big bucks.

SEO "experts" can make a tidy sum manipulating websites to get to N01 so why should google not get in on the act.

[leehack]

Although i am a fan of Google and like a lot of the stuff they do, i can't help thinking that we as users need to start using the other search engines a bit more, otherwise we are going to be building another Microsoft alike monopoly.

If we make them too popular and powerful, they will begin to dictate to us and i feel that we are just at the stage where we can do something about it, another 12 months and we will be lambs to the slaughter.

[RuralWeb]

another 12 months and we will be lambs to the slaughter

This may be true - many sites are already dependent on Adwords without it they would stand very little chance in a competitive market. Others are being ripped off by SEO companies and some enjoy good placements by their own hard work or luck.

IMO google charging for organic placements would be a good business move for them and some website owners. Although we would see the bigboys swamping the market a little like ebay is doing at the moment.

We all will have to see how it pans out - its no different to an algorithum change only this time they will be telling you how to get back to your previous ranking ie pay them. Interesting times ahead me thinks

[Duncan Rounding]

Although i am a fan of Google and like a lot of the stuff they do, i can't help thinking that we as users need to start using the other search engines a bit more...

Agree completely - I use Avant Browser and have short letters configured for Google and MSN amongst others. I regularly use both then becuse it's easy to do so.

It's scary to think that the big G has so much indirect control over the income of so many businesses.

[RuralWeb]

It's scary to think that the big G has so much indirect control over the income of so many businesses

A N01 on Google can be worth millions of pounds to a website - this is well known by google. Its free gift of Google Analytics has given them all the base data they need to asses the value of keywords so now I suspect they want to be able to manipulate websites to maximise thier profits for high value keywords.

[leehack]

Good quality directories with a max of 10-15 choices per category will be the way ahead in my opinion. Where businesses/websites will have been strictly vetted and removed if unacceptable. A site where you go and can confidently use any company they list without fear.

In life if you use money as a guide as to where you should be placed, the ultimate loser will be the surfer as they do not want the richest company, they want the best to suit their needs.

Revenue and SE's do not mix IMO, there obviously has to be some form of revenue, however i do not like the way in which things are moving personally.

[leehack]

You can set in IE7 which SE you would like to use. Have a go at using msn or yahoo for a month and see what difference it actually makes to your experience.

Google is a bit like a snowball rolling down a hill laden with snow, it picks up more speed and more weight as it goes. Its not trendy to use anything but Google, its the only worldwide name in SE.

Even the market out people or undoubtedly you will be slaughtered in the future. Most people hate Microsoft, they have no real reason for this apart from the fact that they are too rich and successful, as each and every day ticks by, you are manifesting Google into becoming the 2nd Microsoft alike company - they may already be there and its too late.

[RuralWeb]

You can set in IE7 which SE you would like to use. Have a go at using msn or yahoo for a month and see what difference it actually makes to your experience

I agree BUT if you into making money from your website then you must play the google game as the vast majority of buyers use it.

If you track your keyword/search engine sales figures then I am sure you will find that most of your income comes from google be it organic or Adwords. As lee says directories are on the up but most of them are subscription or will go that way when they become popular.

The best income generator is your previous buyers so you need to spend as much time/money on them as you do playing with google.

[leehack]

Although we would see the bigboys swamping the market a little like ebay is doing at the moment.

This is a very very good statement, how many times do you need to scoll to 2nd or 3rd pages to get what you actually want. Money and search engines do not mix, take a look at Ask Jeeves and tell me who made that decision - what a pratt!

Hopefully Branson will come up with a search engine that makes money and is either revenue neutral or raises for charity. Introducing money into search engines as much as we are seeing now is bad. Large businesses now have emergency meetings about how their adwords campaign went tits up - that to me is nothing short of a fkin joke.

[RuralWeb]

Large businesses now have emergency meetings about how their adwords campaign went tits up - that to me is nothing short of a fkin joke

You will find that most internet business's will be doing this if thier business depends on thier website. I know of several people who this time last year did not even know how to use google but now they look at keyword rankings and adword spends every week - some even have PCs dedicated to displaying live visitor tracking.

Its no different to running a B+M shop you need to know who is in the shop, what they are looking at, who is reading your advertising. The internet is a far different place than it was last year - everyone now realises they must have a website and that website must be on google - infact they assume that if they have a website that it will be No1 the next day and cannot understand why thier competitor is there but not them. This huge increase is making it ever harder to get a good ranking - google knows this and may be planning to cash in on it.

[fatoftheland]

Some really interesting posts here... Especially the idea of paying for Organic listings... This would pretty much make SEO redundant... How can you optimise a site for Google when competitors are just paying to be there!? And lets face it, if Google do it I imagine the other SE's would follow suit.

If you want to use a different search engine i'd highly recommend Snap. I use www.snap.com more and more just because it is so innovative. It's ranking is all about relevancy, reviews and user behaviour so popular pages are top and you can vote on individual results.

Google is definately on they way to becoming another Microsoft. I know people who really hate google as a search engine. Some always use MSN, while others use Yahoo!. The problem with them I always find is the distraction of other surrounding content. Yahoo for instance has so much crap surrounding the search box it drives me mad!

[leehack]

Set this as your homepage, keeps you afresh that it isn't the Google World Wide Web.